"The Ultimate Educational Wishlist" : A study of teachers’ views on and implementation of the English 5 syllabus for Swedish upper-secondary school

Abstract: This study aims to explore the English 5 syllabus in relation to what aspects of English are covered and what changes were introduced in the new 2022 version of the upper-secondary-school English 5 course in Sweden. Another aim is to compare and contrast the new English syllabus with the attitudes, practical implementation and priorities and non-priorities of Swedish upper secondary school teachers of English towards the new English 5 syllabus. The method used in this study was a semi-structured interview and the data analysis method was qualitative content analysis. The study found that only very few meaningful changes were made to the English syllabus and it further found that none of the interviewed teachers felt that the changes to the syllabus had affected their teaching. Teachers perceived the reformed English 5 syllabus to be much about the same things that are stated therein and stated different priorities depending on their teaching situation and the student groups they taught. Three out of the four participants stated having both particular priorities and non-priorities in their teaching. The findings of this study were in accordance with the theoretical background and previous research in the field. The findings of this study are relevant as they provide a clear description of the reformed syllabus and its educational consequences for teachers to utilise in order to better understand how to implement the changes to their teaching. Additionally, it may encourage state agencies to take teachers' perceptions and experiences into account when making policy decisions.